By setting up single sign-on (SSO) options from Blink into your other systems, you can help reduce the steps users must take each time they access pertinent information.
In this article:
What is SSO, and why set it up?
Single sign-on (SSO) means once your team logs into Blink, they can jump straight into your other systems, like your HR platform or a scheduling tool, without logging in again. One login, and everything else opens up. No extra usernames or passwords to remember.
Why it's worth doing:
Easier for employees. One less password to remember, one less login screen to get stuck on.
Better adoption. When access is simple, people actually use the tools you've rolled out.
Better security. Fewer passwords floating around means fewer ways for accounts to get compromised.
Who needs to be involved
Setting up SSO isn't a one-person job. You'll need two people at the table:
Your Blink Admin — the person who manages your Blink Admin dashboard and will create the SSO configuration.
The admin of the other system (called the "Service Provider," or SP, in this article) — the person on the other side who can pull technical details from that system.
Neither person can do this alone. The Blink Admin needs details only the other system's admin can provide, and the other system's admin needs to know the request is coming from Blink. Loop both people in before you start.
A quick note on compatibility: Blink currently supports SAML 2.0 for SSO. If the other system doesn't support SAML 2.0, this setup won't work for it.
Checklist: information you'll need
Before you head to the Blink Admin dashboard, get these three things from the other system's admin. All three are required.
ACS URL (Assertion Consumer Service URL) — the web address the other system uses to receive the login confirmation from Blink.
Entity ID — a unique code that identifies the other system, so Blink and that system recognize each other correctly.
Name ID format — the format used to identify each user (usually their email address, sometimes a different ID type).
Two more items are optional, but worth asking about:
Attribute mapping (if needed) — any extra user details the other system wants Blink to send over, like job title or department.
SAML 2.0 metadata file (if available) — a file with configuration details that can make setup faster and reduce back-and-forth.
Use this email template to reach out to the system provider
Send this to the other system's admin to get everything in one go.
Subject: Request for SAML configuration details (Entity ID, ACS URL, NameID format)
Hi [Service Provider's Team],
We're setting up SAML 2.0 single sign-on between Blink and your service, and we need a few details to finish the setup:
Assertion Consumer Service (ACS) URL — where Blink should send the login confirmation
Entity ID — your service's unique SAML identifier (usually a URL or URN)
NameID format(s) you use (for example, email address, transient, or persistent)
Quick checklist for reference:
ACS URL:
Entity ID:
NameID format(s):
Attribute mapping (if any): are there required user attributes, and what are they called?
SAML 2.0 metadata file (if available)
Once we have these, we can finish the setup and test the connection.
Thanks so much for your help!
Best, [Your Name]
Setting it up in Blink
Once your Blink Admin has all the required information, here's what to do:
Log into the Blink Admin dashboard.
In the left-hand panel, go to Single Sign-On.
Click Add SSO and enter the details from the checklist above.
Save the configuration. You'll now be able to view its Metadata and Login URL.
Adding it to the Hub, so employees can find it
Once the configuration is saved, add it to the Hub so employees have somewhere to click to log in:
Go to Hub management on the Blink Admin dashboard.
Click Add Content, then choose Single Sign-On.
Fill in:
A name for this item, so employees know what it is
The SSO configuration you just created
The Relay state (the page the user lands on after logging in successfully)
The icon, section, and which teams can see this item
That's it. Employees will now see this system on their Hub and can log in with a single click, using their Blink credentials.
Need help?
If you get stuck at any point, reach out to your Blink contact. It's often faster to loop in both admins on the same email thread from the start, so nothing gets lost in translation between systems.Manage the icon, section and which teams have access to the Hub item.